PM Duško Marković on occasion of 100th anniversary of Christmas uprising: Without memory and respect of glorious ancestors and their work, there would be no present day Montenegro

Prime Minister Duško Marković told today on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the Christmas uprising that from a distance of one century we see the consequences that a profound split and conflict have left on the Montenegrin entity. Today we need to understand the then misconceptions of one and the vision and the sacrifice of others in defense of the threatened rights to the Montenegrin name and uniqueness. The victims of the uprising and the severe suffering of Montenegrin families in the years of terror found peace in the renewal of state independence in 2006.

"On this day, a hundred years ago, a Christmas uprising took place. A rebellion started against the suppression of the Montenegrin name and the Montenegrin state. The defense of dignity and the right to self-belonging of the Montenegrin people started. These bright ideals, embedded in the foundation of the national and state entity of Montenegro, were defended by the insurgents under the slogan 'FOR JUSTICE, HONOR AND FREEDOM OF MONTENEGRO'," Prime Minister Duško Marković said at Zetski dom at Cetinje.

The prime minister urged historians to explore a period of one century ago, saying that the truth is needed in present day Montenegro to overcome the divisions.

"Let historians summarise the facts about the tragic fate of our country at the end of the First World War. Let them explore the facts about the illegitimate Podgorica Assembly and the Christmas uprising, as a direct answer to its fatal decisions. Let them objectively see the causes and consequences of the events that led the Montenegrins to turn weapons on one another. This truth is necessary for modern Montenegro, today perhaps more than ever before. Not to deepen the division among us by celebrating the tragedy of a historical event, but precisely to bury those divisions on the foundations of the historical truth, once and for all " the Prime Minister noted.

Prime Minister Marković said that from a distance of one century, we see the consequences that such a deep split and conflict has left in the Montenegrin entity.

"I believe that today we need to understand the delusion of ones in difficult and troubled times, just like the vision and the sacrifice of others in defending the threatened right to a Montenegrin name and uniqueness. Not to equalise their historical role in the tragic Montenegrin history, because they placed themselves where they were taken by their misconceptions and their ideals, but to free present day Montenegro of the darkness of these divisions. Deeply bowing to the heroic sacrifice of Christmas insurgents as well as the severe suffering of Montenegrin families in the years of terror that followed - today we can rightly say that those victims and these sufferings were granted their well deserved serenity in the renewal of the Montenegrin name and the Montenegrin state on May 21, 2006 "- Prime Minister Marković emphisised.

The Prime Minister stated that modern Montenegro needs memory and respect of the glorious ancestors and their work, that without this foundation and the roadmap there would be no present day Montenegro, its name would have disappeared.

"I am convinced, however, that the Montenegrin name can not be preserved today only by remembering the glorious and tragic past. For its defense, for its permanent place on the map of the modern world, it takes much more than - let me say - "punching in the heroic chest". In order to survive in the right way, Montenegrin national name and identity must face the temptations imposed by the civilized world today. And in order to succeed in this, we all need to have enough wisdom, sufficient vision and sufficient understanding for the others, so that we do not fall behind in this contemporary challenge," Prime Minister Duško Marković said.

The Prime Minister said that when, after the renewal of independence, we aimed our state path at European and Euro-Atlantic integration, we had in mind such Montenegro: capable of being, in a democratic and economic sense, an equal part of the community of the most developed countries and peoples.

"Today there is no longer any dilemma if we are going to succeed - some of these goals have already been achieved, and some are within a hands reach. Never in our history our country has had such a position and such a place in the international community. Also, Montenegro has never had the most dynamic economy in the Balkans, with the highest living standard in the region, with economic growth rates among the highest in Europe in recent years. And nobody brought those results out of somewhere to Montenegro. We did it ourselves. Our dedicated administration, and our hard-working citizens. Therefore, I would like to see more respect, as well as from ourselves, to present day Montenegro and its perspective. And less distrust in our abilities and our institutions. Less unfounded concerns about our state dignity, and much less excitement for the peripheral deniers of all Montenegrin, or those who are fighting for their own, appropriating our century-old identity," the Prime Minister noted.

Prime Minister Duško Marković concluded a speech at the Solemn Academy on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the Christmas uprising by assurance that independent, self-aware and brave Montenegro is the safest defense of the Montenegrin name and our state identity.

"In this way, we will best keep the memory of the famous ancestors and their sacrifices, from all Montenegrin battles and rebellions lifted - for freedom. Today, on the centenary of the Christmas uprising, which spark flashed here at the throne of Cetinje, I would like to say that the heroism of the insurgents obliges us to continue building Montenegro according to the level of modern civilization and democratic values by which is adorned. Today, I see in that the meaning of the message of the Christmas uprising: FOR JUSTICE, HONOR AND FREEDOM OF MONTENEGRO. Let it be an eternal glory and thanks to Christmas insurgents!" Prime Minister Duško Marković concluded.